WHY DON'T WE RUN OR DO BOX JUMPS AT PHYSIQUE?

I'm often asked, why do we not run or do box jumps and burpees at Physique?

For sure, running can help you get cardiovascular fit and it can also help you lose weight, however scientific research has shown us that there are other ways we can become fitter and healthier, without the risks that running and jumping places on our bodies.

The stress when we run or jump can cause injury and chronic fatigue as well as permanent damage to our bodies, something that we try and avoid at Physique. When we run or jump, we place over 3 times our body weight of pressure onto our joints and bones within our bodies. This can cause joint, tendon and ligament issues, especially within the ankles, hips, back and knees.

Imagine someone who weighs 90 kg and is doing burpees, box jumps or running on a treadmill, they are placing over 270 kilograms of shock pressure onto their joints, tendons and ligaments!

We have seen terrible injuries caused from running, doing box jumps and burpees, where the body is not strong enough to cope with such sudden and excessive loading.

In addition to the loading and stress placed on the various joints within the body, a leading UK Cardiologist identified that running for distances in excess of combined 20 kilometers a week, potentially increases your risk of heart disease.

The research study showed that oxidative stress caused through running, can cause a build-up of plaque within the arteries, causing cardiovascular disease. Additional research by the British Journal of Sports Medicine identified that often runners (male and female) experience incontinence. It was identified that this was due to weakened pelvic muscles, causing a lack of bladder control. Interestingly, the article identified that over 30% of the runners sampled suffered incontinence whilst and post running. A recent research article published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise identified that men who were training for marathons, often experienced a lack of sex drive. The research identified that this was due to a lowering of muscle mess and lowering of testosterone levels, caused from running long distances on a regular basis.

Conversely, studies by Harvard and Oxford Universities have shown that by lifting weights on a regular basis, two to three times a week, for an hour at a time, reduced the build-up of plaque within the arteries and reduced the aging process (Sarcopenia).

In addition, the research also identified that weight training reduced the risk of heart disease, strengthened the pelvic floor muscles (preventing incontinence), improved joint, ligament and tendon strength, improved muscle mass, and reduced body fat, improved mental health, cardiovascular performance, sex drive and libido.

The studies identified that regardless of age, sex or current health levels, everyone benefited from a program of weight training.

At Physique, we prefer to lift weights to become fitter and healthier versions of ourselves, without risking injuries associated with running and jumping.

So the question is, what is the point of running or jumping when we can lift weights instead?